Ralph Waldo Emerson once said, “The first wealth is health.” Today that couldn’t be truer — two years after a global pandemic, health certainly is considered the greatest wealth. Elegant Living Tampa recently hosted a Wine, Women & Wealth event that addressed the physical, mental, emotional and financial aspects of health and wellness…all while enjoying a variety of fabulous wine in the Theatre at the Epicurean Hotel.
The stormy weather and tornado watch did not deter attendees, who were greeted with a glass of rosé champagne and had a chance to mingle before the event opened with Aimee Cogan of Morgan Stanley discussing the benefits of financial planning. Aimee is managing director of the Bellwether Group, Morgan Stanley Wealth Management in Sarasota, which oversees $1.3 billion in assets and is ranked by Forbes as one of the nation’s Top Women Advisors and Best-In-State of Wealth Advisors.
(Rochelle Nigri and Aimee Cogan)
Aimee was joined by her colleague Rochelle Nigri, a financial advisor with the Bellwether Group and Morgan Stanley since 2014. Commanding the audience with their charisma and confidence, the pair shared some of their clients’ stories, described how they provide financial guidance, and talked about how they also have educated their clients’ children on finances and investing.
Making the comparison to having the right medical experts guarding your health, Aimee and Nigri emphasized the importance of having the right wealth manager on your team — one you can talk to openly, trust explicitly, and is committed to help grow your wealth.
(Aimee Cogan, Rochelle Nigri, Dr. Lisa Koche)
The presentation was followed by food prepared by Epicurean’s chef paired with three wines from Sonoma Valley created by women winemakers: Jordan chardonnay, 2019 crisp, elegant and nicely textured wine, is the first vintage under Winemaker Maggie Kruse; Zidanelia Arcidiacono, named one of Wine Enthusiast’s 40 Under 40, works exclusively with Sonoma Cutrer pinot noir, which she calls Cutrer’s “best kept secret; and Carano’s cabernet sauvignon is created by Rebecka Deike, who was promoted to associate winemaker in 2014 and seven years later to senior winemaker. She now oversees Ferrari-Carano’s red wine programs.
After the Epicurean’s sommelier took everyone through the taste notes and history about the vineyards for each wine, we filled our glasses with our favorite wine to hear from Dr. Lisa Koche, medical director and founder of Spectra Wellness Solutions, a comprehensive clinic focused on all aspects of total body healing.
Board certified in internal medicine, anti-aging, and regenerative medicine, Lisa shared her personal health journey and discussed how she turned to focusing on finding the cause of illness instead of simply treating the symptoms. She speaks nationally and has appeared on television and radio. Several signature programs she created for optimal performance are featured in her first book, GETLIT. Lisa welcomed questions and provided real answers to women dealing with hormone imbalance, menopause, and fatigue.
The event closed with Kim Wilson, a luxury real estate agent and second-home specialist for Premier Sotheby’s, leading an Easter egg activity in which the winner went home with a bottle of Laurent Perrier champagne.
All attendees received a fabulous swag bag and even though the rain had stopped, many decided to gather in the lobby to continue the discussion.